This Distance Between Us
by RadicalRae
Summary: All he knew was the ocean. He knew every fish, every plant that lived in the waters of his home. He did not know of the creatures that had once manned the sunken ships, though he'd heard about them in stories told in hushed whispers and fearful tones. Sebastian, upon finding a ship, gets a peek into human life - and there he loses his heart to a boy named Ciel. / Mermaid AU
1. Chapter 1

He was born to darkness, to cold that swirled around his fingers and bubbles that rose from his open mouth. There was no color, only a dark emptiness with pinpricks of light in the distance. As he got older and bigger, his scales got harder, his claws, his eyesight improved until he could see that those pinpricks of light were others like him, and he understood that this was the deepest place in the entire ocean. They were left alone down here, where no one could ever reach them or hurt them. His entire life had been spent here, in this dark trench where he hunted white skinned sharks and slippery serpents with gaping mouths, where he scratched his own keep into the cliff walls with homemade knives and his claws and teeth.

He had never left, had never wanted to leave. He was safe down here, the trench was his home, where he had been born and raised, where he had seen his parents laid to rest, where he'd hunted for the first time and where he had met his only friend. Sure, he didn't much trust Claude, and they rarely met in this dark existence, but there were very little of their kind left over from the Great Hunt, when the monsters - the humans - had hunted them down and killed them by the hundreds. They all had to make do.

Sebastian was content to stay in the trench.

And then the fish started to disappear. The white sharks and serpents dwindled until he wasn't sure if there were any left. Dangerous creatures with poison for blood started showing up with needles for fins and rocks for scales. The cliff walls started to crumble, started to shake beneath his palm and the water was too warm to be comfortable. When they met again, in the now less then friendly darkness that was their dying home, Claude told him what he'd already been thinking; They were not welcome anymore. The ocean was changing and the trench was not fit for them anymore.

So with a tightness in his chest, Sebastian packed what little he would take with him, wrapped in a bundle of broad strips of seaweed and tied to the black handled staff his father had given him from his first hunt. His heart ached and his hands shook with a terrible fear, but they had to leave. If they stayed they'd only starve to death in a place that was no longer the dark, calm place he'd been born in so many years ago. Seeing Claude and the others appear so gaunt in the light of their lanterns, he was sure they were making the right choice.

They journeyed upwards, towards a better place, a place where the light cut through the chilled water and would shine on them, on their beauty and their fins and warm their hearts - like the elders used to say they would do, before the humans came and slaughtered them.

Cold water swirled around his fingers, bubbles erupted from his mouth and a fish swam right past his face, as if it didn't know he was a predator and it prey. For the first time in forever, Sebastian saw color, and it was beautiful, in explosions of blue and pink and red and yellow. Tiny, clawed hands gripped his staff, and as he looked down at the awed triplets of Hannah's, he felt hope since the serpents and sharks had disappeared.

They could make it. They had to. For them.

* * *

"I guess this is goodbye." Sebastian looked up from securing a blade to the end of his staff, having not heard Claude approach him.

"...We've never been out of the trench. This is a new place for us, for all of us. I...I want to know what there is to know, and to do that..."

"You have to leave." Claude said this, looking away from his long time friend who so easily had decided to just leave. Sebastian sighed, watching the tiny bubbles rise above his head and towards the greatest light he had ever seen. One of the elders called it the sun, which was a star, and he'd been told that there were thousands of stars that hung in the sky like the bobbing lights of an angler fish. He knew it was wrong in some way, but he wanted to see it with his own eyes, he wanted to know what was above this endless ocean, he wanted to know everything he could see and touch and smell and taste.

To do that, though, he would have to leave Claude, Hannah, and the triplets behind, as well as others that he had known his entire life.

"Maybe we'll meet again. Maybe we'll find a new home and we can be safe. Maybe we'll meet others like us out there, living in the way we were denied." Sebastian knew he was spouting nothing but bullshit, he knew it was likely they would never see each other again, this ocean was too big, too unknown, every corner there would be challenges and obstacles that could very well kill them.

Everything from here on out was a uncertain series of events that no one had any control of.

So he stopped talking and embraced his best friend, inhaled the scent of familiarity one last time. With that silent goodbye, he turned tail and left, stubborn enough that he never looked back - because if he had, he would have turned back, he would never have been able to leave.

* * *

It took many years for him to meet someone in the vastness of the ocean, another like himself. The Undertaker was an odd fellow, with white scales and silver hair that covered his eyes. He carried a scythe and he spoke of times beyond that of even his elders, of when humans barely ventured out past their shores, when those like themselves were worshipped like gods. Sebastian was wary, but the stories he was told were intoxicating, knowledge that he'd wanted for so long finally within reach, and he took what he could get. Traveling with the older male got tiring fast, the constant jokes and the need to get a laugh out of everything grated on his nerves.

So with no goodbyes and no heartfelt "maybes", Sebastian left while the Undertaker was asleep, slipping into the dark night like one of the creatures he had once hunted a long time ago. He didn't look back.

* * *

Even after spending many years away from his birthplace, colors still amazed him, mesmerized him and made him want to reach out and touch them. Even the colors of the fish he hunted gave him a little thrill, those colorful scales and fins that contrasted so heavily against the murky black of his fins and tail, the pale whiteness of his torso and face.

The sunken ship had been both a surprise and a delight. Following the lead of a friendly shark, Sebastian wriggled through what he knew was a porthole, only knowing it from the stories others had told him. The wood was rotten and soft to the touch, sometimes crumbling underneath his hands, sometimes bowing and groaning as if breaking beneath the shift of weight. Things he had never seen floated among the wreckage, trapped by the degrading walls. He discovered other things, utensils he vaguely identified as a dull knife, four pronged knives and oddly shaped things that resembled the shells his mother had once used to feed him when he was little. The corpses had him let out a scream, dropping the fragile teacup he'd been examining.

The skull was so similar to the corpses of his own kind, but there were...things in place of a tail, things that he didn't know - the Undertaker had said something about humans having limbs like turtles and crabs; legs, but not like legs as he knew them. They didn't have enough joints for a crab and too many for a turtle. Deciding that this was something to ask when he next met someone, Sebastian left the corpses be and continued to search the sunken ship for long forgotten treasure.

* * *

Seeing a ship float atop the water was surreal, something that Sebastian found delightful and dream like. He had seen many that were wrecked and below the water, but this one was very different. Rising above the water, he watched with wide eyes as creatures - humans, they had to be, for while covered in flesh they resembled the skeletons from the sunken ships he'd explored - walked about their vessel, talking in gruff, loud voices that grated on his hearing and made his heart skip at the same time. Edging closer and closer, Sebastian was soon climbing the ropes dangling from the side of the boat until he could watch these humans up close.

It was there that, once again, color exploded in his face. There was a human, young and small and oh so fragile, with eyes two different colors. One was the deep blue of his beloved ocean, and the other was the purple of exotic fish, of the teacups he had found underneath pile of rubbish. The boy turned, the colors of his eyes flashing. He was dancing with a boy that had colors as bland as a clownfish, and Sebastian wished he could be the one up there, even if it meant giving up his gorgeous black scales and the fins that had once made Hannah swoon for him.

What was the boy's name? Did he love the ocean like Sebastian did? Had he ever swam beside a great white, or hunted sea turtles or played with dolphins? He didn't the answer, but oh, he wanted to know. He wanted to see just how soft the human's skin was, to see if he smelt like the ocean or of things from the land, he wanted to hear the boy's voice and feel his touch.

Stories from long ago, of the cruelty of humans played in his mind. He remembered the scars of his elders, the sharks that were heartlessly harpooned and hurt simply for their sinister appearance. His heart ached, he already felt as if this boy was far more gentle and softer and kinder than anything in the stories he had heard in his life, but Sebastian was raised to be cautious, to fear what he didn't know.

Sebastian flipped off of the boat, hitting the water and hiding below the belly of the ship, where small fish whirled around him and a small shark bumped affectionately against his hands. Oh, boy he would never meet, why was he born to a place he could never go to?

* * *

Despite everything he knew about these fish killing monsters, Sebastian stuck with the ship, swimming close to the belly and playing with the sharks and small fish that he chanced upon. At night, while he was fiddling with a hairbrush he'd found, he saw another ship, one that was moving much faster than the one his boy was on. Spotting a shark fleeing from it, he reached out, trailing his hand along its flank. The shark stunk of fear and pain, mind practically screaming that the other ship brought nothing but death.

Sebastian let the other creature go, glancing at the fast approaching ship. He needed to warn his boy, he needed to get him to safety. Once again, warnings from his elders niggled at the pack of his head - but his boy, the beautiful boy with his colors and his eyes, was in danger and he couldn't let him be killed.

And so he found himself climbing the side of the ship, not caring enough to be quiet, and peered over onto what he now knew was the deck. His boy was still, blissfully, awake. Standing next to the blond boy from before, his boy was watching the other ship, maybe wary, maybe not. Other humans had gathered, some talking, some pointing and wondering aloud about the unknown vessel. Taking a shell, from his bag, Sebastian tossed it towards the boy, wincing when it hit his shoulder. the boy turned, mouth open in surprise, and the blond was turning with him.

Both stilled as they saw Sebastian. The boy - his boy! - started to walk towards him, taking shaky, unsure steps across the deck until he was kneeling in front of him. there was a tightness in his chest again, his heart pounding and he was acutely aware that the blond had alerted others to his presence. He ignored their awed words and hushed whispers, staring at his beautiful boy instead.

"What are you?" The boy's voice was like a spear to the chest. His heart sang and the scales along his neck prickled like someone was breathing on him - death maybe, for he could see the humans picking up knives and guns, looking scared of him.

"My name is Sebastian, you are in danger." The other humans stiffened as he spoke, one of them shouting something about abominations, another whispering a prayer.

"I...I'm Ciel. Why are we in danger." Ciel. His boy's name was Ciel and it was beautiful and wonderful and he wanted to swoon. But he couldn't, because he could see that ship getting closer.

"Fish and sharks are fleeing. They say that ship," Was he saying that right? "Is bringing death with it. I can smell blood in the water they plan on hurting you, you must leave you cannot stay here!"

The humans dropped their weapons, shouting to each other, running on the deck. Ciel looked shocked, looking up when the blond urged him to. They spoke fast, too fast for Sebastian to understand, and then the blond was running off towards a woman with red hair and glasses. Ciel turned to Sebastian, reaching for his face with soft hands that smelt of flowers and salt. Fingers stroked over the scales on the sides of his face, tangling with the wet locks of raven black hair, tugging until his eyes only saw this gentle boy's face.

"You risked your life to warn us. Why?"

Why? He loved this boy. He adored the colors of his eyes, the softness of his skin, the warm smile so few had the delight of seeing, he loved Ciel more than he loved his own ocean. Shaking his head, Sebastian leaned away from the human's touch, although all he desired was to fall further into this boy, to drown in the violet and sapphire eyes and lay claim upon his tiny heart.

"You are what I have searched a hundred years for." Was his answer, one he knew the boy would not understand. How could he, when he had not spent so many years searching for the answers, for the knowledge that had been kept for him, only to find it all within a tiny, fragile human?

"...I'll slow them down. Get far away from here, my Ciel." Ignoring the cry of protest, Sebastian let go of the ropes he'd been hanging from, flipping back into the water with a great splash. The fish from before were gone now, having fled from the forbidding ship that was even closer. Even below the water, he could hear the men above shouting to one another, as well as Ciel's screams for him.

Sebastian was not the biggest, nor the strongest of his kind, but he was one of the fastest. Charging for the other ship, twisting and turning in the cold, seemingly lifeless water, he picked up speed before ramming into the ship's hull, cracking the wood and tilting the ship off course. Startled shouts came above, as did a barrage of spears. Only one managed to graze him, catching him about the shoulder and tearing a searing line of pain down his arm. Bubbles rose from between clenched teeth as he backpedaled, the pain only vaguely acknowledged for his boy was still in danger.

He rammed the ship again, this time ducking beneath its belly to avoid spears, and this time, the bullets that were meant to kill him. Ciel's ship was getting away, so far that he knew he would not be able to keep up with his injury. Still, he did not know how fast this vile vessel could go, so he gathered his strength, bolted out from hiding and turned to ram the ship one last time.

It capsized with a great racket, the screams of men and the cracking and splintering of wood. Sebastian fled, hopeful eyes glimpsing his boy's ship before he was too deep and could no longer see it. He fled deeper and deeper, finding a shallow trench that he could hide in. There were white skinned sharks here, and serpents as large as himself, but they left him alone, hissing and clicking their horrid teeth at him, but not attacking.

He clung to the cliff wall, he clutched his hurt arm and wept for what he'd lost.

He had lost his boy. He had lost the very person he hadn't known he was searching for. Seeing the boy again would be as likely as seeing Claude or Hannah or the triplets ever again.

"Sebastian?" Whipping around, he saw an all too familiar face - older now, with added scars, but a face he had never forgotten despite the years that had gone by.

"Claude."


	2. Chapter 2

"Let's go where I can see you better." Claude had said, the words almost muted through the ringing in his head. He'd only nodded dumbly. Had followed after him and ignored the concerned expressions worn by the other male. Another familiar body was waiting above for them, silver hair a halo all about Hannah's still pretty face, and she too seemed concerned for Sebastian. She said nothing though, only a murmured hello to which he returned just as sullenly. They continued in silence, until a colorful reef was reached.

Sunlight shone through the water here, rippling along the arms of Claude and Hannah. He wasn't surprised to see them still together, and though he couldn't see the triplets, the boys' scents lingered on the mated pair's scales. They wouldn't be far off. Sebastian wasn't sure how to react to seeing his two childhood friends. Should he be happy? He knew he should be ecstatic to see them; but instead he was weighed down by the dread and sadness of losing his boy. Perhaps it showed on his face, as Hannah cast a confused look at him before flipping around and swimming off, silver and dark grey scales flashing under the diluted light.

"Don't worry about that." Sebastian only glanced at Claude. He wanted to say he wasn't all too worried. He wanted to say it was good to see them. There were a million things he could say to the other male that would be all mostly lies.

Whatever reason Hannah had for leaving was her own.

He didn't know them anymore. It had been far too long since they had last spoken. They were adults now, Sebastian had seen so much more than he had when he'd stuck with his friend. Right then, he only wanted his boy. He wanted to find that ship all over again and continue to love him from afar. Ciel. Beautiful, delicate Ciel with his purple and blue eyes that reminded him of exotic colors deep within his beloved ocean. He gave a heavy sigh, turning to look into the distance, in the general direction of where Ciel's ship had fled to. He wondered what land the boy lived on. Or did he live on that ship all the time? How old was he? Was he old enough to hunt on his own, or did his kind still consider him a child?

Was there any chance at all for them to meet again?

"Sebastian?"

Right. He had another thing to pay attention to.

Turning, Sebastian found that Hannah had returned with the triplets in tow. They were even more grown up than before, considered adults themselves, or close enough for them to be left alone. He'd missed a lot. Despite the heaviness hanging in his stomach, he managed a large smile for them, to which the boys responded with excitement; they referred to him as "uncle" and chittered to him about the skills they had learned in the years he had been away. Claude and Hannah seemed much less concerned, smiling as well and relaxing.

"It's good to see you guys again. I...I'm sorry if I concerned you earlier, I uh...had a run in with a human ship."

"Are you ok? Did those monsters hurt you, uncle Sebastian?" One of the triplets - the one with the largest fins and a pearl necklace - stared at him with awe, clinging to his brothers like one of the "monsters" would come swooping in and steal them away. "Dad says the monsters have bad sulfur weapons that really hurt! Did they use them on you?"

How ignorant. How unsurprising. Of course Claude would tell his own offspring horror stories about a species they knew almost nothing about. Even Hannah seemed to agree with her child's words, nodding along with his fear.

"No. They didn't. I even talked to them. I met a human boy, no older than you three, and his name was Ciel. He...he was beautiful, really, he moved like everything was some sort of bizarre dance. Nothing like the monsters we were told stories about." The triplets looked even more at awe, seeming to miss the longing in his voice and the look he cast over his shoulder. "Another ship threatened him, though. I had to lead them away. I don't think I'll see the boy again."

"Would you want to?" Ah, the smallest boy, the one he remembered being the most naïve. Judging by the look on his face, he probably still was.

"...maybe. I mean...I'd like to see him, but our lives are terribly different, and even so, I can't live on land, nor can he live in the sea. Enough of that, how's the ocean been treating you five?"

With that, they moved on and were able to drop the topic of his boy; Sebastian was both relieved and full of dark, icky sorrow that came from the knowledge that the first time they'd spoken would also be the last.

He focused on listening to his old friends, on pushing slate colored hair and a soft voice from his head. He couldn't hang on to something he'd never have.

* * *

 **TEN YEARS LATER**

"Sir, we're approaching the Earl Trench." A tall young man turned to look at a much older gentleman, a frown on his otherwise pretty face. One eye was the color of the currently calm sea all around them, the other the same shade of violet as the peeling paint on their ship.

"Keep going. Tell Bard to steer us East if he sees any activity."

"But sir, the men -"

"What about them, Tanaka?"

"The trench scares them. The only things that lives there are dangerous creatures that are known for capsizing boats and ships."

"I see." Ciel sighed and looked up towards the sky, then towards the ocean - the ocean he knew was home to a seductive serpentine creature; Sebastian. All those years ago and he could clearly see those flashing red eyes and dark, shimmering scales. He was one of those dangerous creatures.

Ciel would give his entire company to see that godly creature again.

"Continue our current route. Deviating will only waste more time. Do not bring it up again, Tanaka."

"...yes, sir. I'll tell Bard of your demands." Tanaka walked away, leaving the twenty-something year old to stew in his thoughts by himself. Dear God, let him see the telltale flash of black scales amid the gentle waves. Just one glimpse would suffice. Just one would let him rest his longing for Sebastian's murky mystery.

* * *

"Uncle Sebastian, you ok?" Thompson moved to float just above the older mermaid's head, who was busy staring off into the distance, an odd look on his usually handsome face.

"Oh, yes, just fine. Where are your brothers? Did Timber and Canterbury go to the cave again?" Sebastian was off in his own head, Thompson could tell, especially as he could hear his identical brothers playing catch with an empty clam shell nearby. He knew he should just go play with his brothers and leave his uncle to fester in whatever was plaguing him. His father and mother had always told him and his brothers to just leave him be; Sebastian wasn't very sociable.

"Um...no...oh well. I was going to skim over the Earl Trench. They didn't want to go with me, but mom doesn't like it when I go alone." It was the truth, even after all these years, he was still the smallest of his siblings. His mother always worried about him. "Can you go with me, uncle Sebastian?"

The dark scaled mermaid seemed to shake off whatever fog he had been under, turning to look at Thompson with glittering ruby eyes. There was a moment of silence, and then the older male nodded before smoothly slipping away, towards the trench.

"Why do you want to go anyway? All that's over there is the graveyard and sharks."

"My research is on the mating patterns of belly striped sharks. They should've just had their offspring. That, and there's been a human ship in the area..." He trailed off, glancing at his uncle with a curious glimmer. Ever since they'd all met again, he and his brothers had been looking for human ships to look at - in the hopes that Sebastian's boy would be on one of them.

"A human ship? How big? Has anyone seen the humans living on the ship?" Of course he'd ask questions.

"Uh, Timber said it wasn't that big. Won't have a big crew, but he mentioned that a younger human seemed to be the one making the orders. While I see to my sharks, you could look at the ship? I know dad would want to know anything you can glean..."

"Sure, sure..." With that, the conversation died down and they swam in silence.

Thompson couldn't be more relieved; he loved his uncle. He was just a very hostile mermaid. Very high strung. Like a female shark with no mate during mating season. Or a female anything, really.

* * *

Sebastian had really lost all hope of seeing Ciel again. He was sure the boy would never return to the sea, that he didn't feel this deep seated longing like Sebastian did. He knew Thompson meant well and that the younger male just wanted to help him in finding his heart's one desire, but the search had yet to give him anything.

Ciel was a lost cause. One that would break his heart, he was sure. Even as he followed after the other mermaid, he couldn't help but consider the whole thing redundant. A little like explaining his love for human-made trinkets; no one would ever get it, it was pointless, and would only end in him being disappointed and dismal for the rest of the day.

At least the Earl Trench wasn't something he could waste a visit on. Drawing near, there were already serpents longer than himself swimming right on by - not one was even wary of him and Thompson, a result of almost never encountering a predator quite like a mermaid before. Sebastian caught himself drifting off to follow on or two of the more unique specimens, fascinated with their colorful stripes and luminescent eyes. Sharks as small as his fingers darted around, playing hide-and-seek among the rock formations and coral reefs. They were amusing. Like tiny dancers, flashing their bright scales and then hiding from sight.

"See, uncle? There's the ship!" Thompson's shout drew Sebastian's attention to a violet painted pirate ship, still on the other side of the impressive crevice known as the Earl Trench, where he'd originally lost his Ciel so long ago. He could see that they aimed to cross the trench. It was too far away to really tell, but it wasn't a large ship. Nothing like the one his boy had been on. Not even close.

"I see it, Thompson. Go see to your sharks, I'm crossing the trench. Stay close to the edges, alright? Your mother will kill me if I tell her I let you wander over the open space on your own." He didn't wait for a reply. He swam quickly, long tail whipping up bubbles in his wake. Despite what went through his head, a part of him was still hoping, still longing to see his boy just one more time. Every ship and every boat brought pain and hope; none had yet to bring him his boy, the answer to the heaviness in his heart, and yet it left him looking for the next one.

The violet paint, though peeling, reminded him of Ciel's discolored eye. Already, he could hear Claude telling him off for going after humans once again. Hannah would tell him he was insane and keep the boys from talking to him, maybe. Soon, he popped his head out of the water, peering up at the colorful ship. It was nothing to stare at. Not compared to what he'd seen before. Still, it looked solid and sturdy, something that had survived a few beatings.

"Ahoy down there!" A voice from above snatched his attention from inspecting the ship, towards a human with surprisingly bright red hair. Sebastian blinked up at the human - which upon further scrutiny was a male - before lifting a hand and waving in greeting. He then motioned like he was climbing with a gesture towards the ropes hanging from the side of the ship. The human stared down at him, obviously taken aback by his bold request, then disappeared from view.

A few moment later, and the human and his bright hair were back, cheerfully waving for him to come aboard.

And so he started climbing, heaving his body up the vessel - seven years ago, this had been easy. He had climbed with little effort, always doing so as quickly as a shark could catch a sitting duck. Now, however, he found his chest heaving and his breathing was harsh, giving him cause to stop and catch himself before hauling his sinuous body over the wooden railing. Sebastian found the redhead beaming at him, teeth like a shark's and eyes gleaming.

" _Oh_ good lord! Wow! Aren't you just _gorgeous_? I _almost_ don't want to tell the captain about you!" Wary of the bright human, Sebastian shrank away, baring his teeth in a snarl. He'd much rather deal with the captain than...whatever this loud, bright thing was considered. Seeming to see this, the redhead pouted. "Okay _okay_ , I'll go get the captain. Before I go, I'm Grell. Now you stay right there big boy, don't go anywhere!"

With that, Grell flounced off, giving him time to observe the others on the deck. There was an older man there who felt familiar, though he couldn't place it. A female human with hair just a tad darker than Grell's was talking with two males, a large white beast at her feet. From prior encounters, he knew it to be a dog.

He didn't much like dogs. They were like seals, only they didn't belong in the ocean and were stupid and smelly. No, he much preferred those other beasts humans were fond of; cats. They moved like graceful fish, as if they swam on land - and most of them didn't smell too bad either.

And then he saw him. A tall, thin blond, a blandly colored boy that was painfully familiar, coming up to speak with the older man. It was the boy who he had seen with _his_ boy! It had to be. Did that mean Ciel would be here? Did that mean he was finally going to see his boy after all these years?

"Sebastian? I remember you! You saved my life when I was a little boy." That voice! It struck a lance right through him, just as it had done seven years ago. He turned his head to see a young man with slate-grey hair and mismatched eyes coming towards him, Grell right behind him.

"Ciel." The name was a prayer on his lips, a whisper of worship upon seeing his boy once again. He smiled, delighted to see the boy smile at him too. His heart hadn't been the only one to suffer through the long years.

Before more could be said, Sebastian felt claws dig into his tail, ripping him off the railing and away from his boy. He fell back into the waves, hitting the surface hard enough to drive the breath from his body. Flipping over, he saw the culprit had been Claude, the other male shaking himself off like he'd touched something especially nasty.

"They could have killed you! What were you thinking!?" Claude was screeching, loud enough to hurt, and Sebastian could only feel angered. How dare Claude attempt to control him!

"He's up there. Ciel. The boy. My boy. That is what I was thinking." Sebastian turned to look up at the ship, at the peeling violet paint and the burry shapes of people leaning over the sides of the vessel. Distantly, he could hear Thompson yelling for his mother and brothers to "come quick". He was more focused on the distance between him and Ciel. "And I must go back. You've got to let me go, Claude."

Seeing the distress on his face, Sebastian shook his head.

"This isn't goodbye. I'm coming back."

"You said that last time."

"And didn't we meet again? You know how important this is to me. How important he is to me. You've got to let go. I searched the whole ocean for him, and it finally gave him back."

"He's a human! He's only going to hurt you!" Oh, Claude was only trying to protect him. Sebastian knew that, and still he could only smile at his long time friend.

"Everyone will hurt me one day. I can only give him a chance. Claude..."

"Then go. I can't stop you, can I?"

He turned to go, then cast a glance back at Claude. He felt a sadness, a creeping dismay in his chest. They were parting ways yet again. Why was it always him doing the leaving?

"Don't wait for me. I refuse to live in fear." With that, he returned to climb the side of the ship again, towards the relieved face of his boy - his boy who reached to help him over the railing, who's touch both burned and soothed his inner turmoil.

He didn't look back.


End file.
